The Significance of Love
by Daddy's Girl 1999
Summary: A father's instinct led him to knock on Olivia's door.
1. A Father's Instinct

Donald Cragen stood outside Olivia Benson's apartment door, his gut churning worse with every minute he was met with silence.

"Livvy honey, open up the door. It's Don. It's just me sweetie."

"It's open." Olivia never easily gave in, considered herself fiercely independent. The fatherly tone in his voice and the terms of endearment proved to be her undoing.

Oh Livvy honey, who hurt you,he thought silently to himself as he let himself in. Olivia was on her couch, and she looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Don," she said, fear and pain thickening her voice. He sat down beside her and was quite surprised when she snuggled up to him.

Not that he minded though when he pressed a soft kiss to her hair, saying out loud what he just minutes earlier thought silently to himself. "Oh Livvy honey, who hurt you?"

Olivia did not say a word as she snuggled closer, burrowing her head in his jacket. "Please. I just wanna be held right now...not talk," she finally managed to choke out between strangled sobs.

"Ok. Livvy. Can you at least listen to me?" All he got in answer was a slight sigh as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He took that as permission to continue.

"I love you Olivia," he said, and Olivia felt her breath hitch. "How could he love me?" It was as if he could read her mind. "It really is that simple honey. I love you for you. I loved you yesterday. I love you today, and I will love you forever. No matter what happens or what path you choose, you will always be my precious daughter."

Olivia looked up at him, her doe-like brown eyes rapidly filling with tears. "I want to tell you something, but I am afraid."

"Afraid of what baby? You can tell me anything my precious angel."

"He raped me daddy!" His heart dropped into his stomach as he put a throw pillow in his lap. After gently lowering her head onto the pillow, he combed his fingers through her long brown hair.

"My sweet girl, I love you so much. I am not going anywhere dove. Ok?" The tears finally stopped as she leaned into his hand.


	2. A Daughter's Fear

After Melinda left(Don called in a few favours), he kissed a sleeping Olivia's head before quietly leaving to his own room. He used the bathroom and took a quick shower before putting pyjamas on. It wasn't that long after that he crawled under the covers and fell into a fitful and light sleep.

Meanwhile, Olivia Benson walked quietly to her dad's(wow, it was surreal to finally have one) room.

Her anxiety growed the closer she got. _"Will he be mad at me for waking him up?"_ Little did she know that he was a light sleeper as he woke up, having heard her footfalls. "It's okay princess. Come in." Olivia walked in and hesitantly sat down on the bed next to her dad, his mere proximity to her keeping her somewhat calm.

"What's wrong darling, can't sleep," Don Cragen lovingly asked as he pulled Olivia into his arms. She blinked back tears as her head fell on his chest. "I had a nightmare," she said as she tightly grasped his pajama top in between her fists.

"Oh honey." Don pulled the covers around them and dropped a kiss to her brown hair. "Precious, I love you so much. Get some sleep. I will be the first face you see when you wake up and the last one you see before going to sleep." He chuckled quietly to himself upon hearing soft snores coming from her tiny body.

 ** _The Next Morning:_**

Donald Cragen smiled as Olivia gazed up at him. A sleepy smile appeared on her face as he tenderly cupped her cheek. "Good morning daddy."

"Good morning beautiful, are you ready to face the day?" The smile waned, and Olivia blinked back tears as she averted her eyes.

"I am scared dad. What if he comes back?" Don pulled Olivia fully into his arms and tucked her head under his chin.

After taking a deep breath, he pressed a soft kiss to her hair before replying. "A daughter's fear is no match for a father's love. He will not even dare come near you because he will have to go through me first."

She sagged against her dad in relief as his words echoed in her mind. It was then a memory resurfaced. A memory that she had thought was long since gone.


	3. Piece By Piece

_Six year old Olivia_ _Benson tugged excitedly_ _on her mother's arm. "Mommy mommy, we're gonna be late!"_

 _Serena Benson didn't waste a beat as she threw her daughter into the wall, her venemous voice sending chills down the first grader's spine._ _"You are a fucking waste of space. I hope you are dead by the time I return from my work trip."_

 _This wasn't her mommy; this was a monster. Serena Benson stomped out of the dingy apartment, and Olivia waited a good long time._ _Lonely, scared, tired, and hungry._ _When she fe_ _lt a pair of comfortingly warm arms lift her up, she didn't even bother to put up a fight._ _"Hey sweetheart. I am Officer Don Cragen. Don't worry honey. You are safe now. I got you." Olivia put her thumb in her mouth and pressed her face into his chest, sobs racking her tiny body._ _"Oh baby, shh it's okay angel. Shh."_

Olivia Benson smiled out of nowhere, curling up closer to the man who saved her life all those years ago.

"It was you!" Her voice held no accusation, no anger over how she was eventually returned to her mother.

Donald Cragen immediately caught on and smiled down at her, pressing a soft kiss to her head.

"Yes baby, it was. I hated that I couldn't do anything, but you know what?"

Olivia snuggled further into his embrace and sighed content in the arms of the one person who had never failed her, who loved her unconditionally.

She was content in the arms of her daddy. "I am happy I got you now baby. I will be by your side through thick and thin. I love you princess."

"Love you too Dad," Olivia said, smiling as she kissed his cheek. After resting back into her former positon, she finally realized that she was home. No matter what, he would always be there for her, and she couldn't want for anything else.

 **And all I remember is your back**

 **Walking towards the airport, leaving us all in your past**

 **I traveled fifteen hundred miles to see you**

 **I begged you to want me, but you didn't want to**

 **But piece by piece, he collected me up**

 **Off the ground, where you abandoned things**

 **Piece by piece he filled the holes that you burned in me**

 **Six years old and you know**

 **He never walks away**

 **He never asks for money**

 **He takes care of me**

 **He loves me**

 **Piece by piece, he restores my faith**

 **That a man can be kind and the father could, stay**

 **And all of your words fall flat**

 **I made something of myself and now you wanna come back**

 **But your love, it isn't free, it has to be earned**

 **Back then I didn't have anything you needed so I was worthless**

 **But piece by piece, he collected me up**

 **Off the ground, where you abandoned things**

 **Piece by piece he filled the holes that you burned in me**

 **Six years old and you know**

 **He never walks away**

 **He never asks for money**

 **He takes care of me**

 **'Cause he loves me**

 **Piece by piece, he restored my faith**

 **That a man can be kind and a father could, stay**

 **Piece by piece**

 **Piece by piece I fell far from the tree**

 **I will never leave her like you left me**

 **And she will never have to wonder her worth**

 **Because unlike you I'm going to put her first and you know**

 **He'll never walk away,**

 **He'll never break her heart**

 **He'll take care of things, he'll love her**

 **Piece by piece, he restored my faith**

 **That a man can be kind and the father should be great**

 **Piece by piece**

 **Piece by piece**


End file.
